大象传媒

Hymn 1 - Let All the World in Every Corner Sing (1 verse)

Good morning and welcome to Sunday Worship.For the past 18 months, singing voices in every corner of the world聽 have been silenced. 10 days ago, choristers of the National Youth Choir of Wales were able to sing together in the same room at last.聽 聽Travelling from all over Wales - fifty young people - from the ages of 16 to 22 found their voices again.聽 And this morning we鈥檒l hear many of those voices in prayer and in praise.聽

Hymn 2 - Tydi a Roddaist
Including comments by choir members about the joy of singing together again .聽 聽 聽

Will, Rebecca, Rhys and Indeg finding their voices again. We鈥檒l hear from several other choristers this morning too -聽 Katherine, Owen and Isobel.聽


Once we have found our own voice, how do we use it to bring in God鈥檚 kingdom, to make the world a better place for everyone聽 - and how do we enable others to make their voices heard too?听听
听听
The sound of someone鈥檚 voice, especially when they speak your name, can have a profound effect. There鈥檚 a story in the old testament about a boy who heard a voice calling his name - and it changed his life.聽

Story of Samuel聽 (Isobel)聽 聽Samuel lived in the temple with an elderly priest called Eli. One night Samuel heard a voice calling his name. He thought it was Eli so he ran to his room and said -鈥� You called me - here I am鈥�.Eli said 鈥� I didn鈥檛 call you-聽 go back to bed 鈥� - so that鈥檚 what he did.听听Samuel heard the voice calling him again and went running to Eli - but once more Eli said 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 me - go back to bed鈥�.When it happened for the third time, Eli realised that it must be the Lord calling the boy, so he said 鈥� Samuel go back to bed and if he calls you again say this -----听听鈥淪peak lord - I鈥檓 listening鈥� ------ and that鈥檚 just what he did.

From then on young Samuel listened and answered and followed God鈥檚 calling, found his own voice and eventually became a great prophet.

So that phrase 鈥淔inding a voice 鈥渃an also mean discovering who we are -聽 having the confidence to become the person God meant us to be.聽

At the beginning of a new academic year, many of the young people in the choir are moving into the 6th form or on to University.They鈥檙e looking to the future, making plans, wondering what鈥檚 in store.聽 聽As we face new challenges, we all need to hear wise words of advice and guidance.聽


Hymn 3 - Lord you sometimes speak in Wonder (Tune Brother Sister)聽 聽 听听

In that hymn, Christopher Idle those words reminds us that there are many ways in which God speaks to us - in wonders, in whispers, in silence, in scripture and always in Jesus.聽The most urgent words Jesus鈥� spoke on the night before he died were these聽 -鈥淟ove one another as I have loved you and by this love everyone will know that you are mine鈥�. Throughout his life, it was that voice of love that shone through - in what he said and by the way he lived.聽

So much so that wherever he went people followed him, crowded around him at the lakeside and on mountain tops, eager to hear his voice -to find out more about his radical new message -聽 a message not of exclusion, hate and revenge but of compassion and wisdom - the words of a peacemaker and healer.聽

In Psalm 19 we鈥檙e told that we can hear this voice throughout the whole of creation.

The heavens are telling us about the glory of God.The sky is showing us the beauty that God鈥檚 hands have made. Each day pours out the story to another day. Each night tells the next night what it knows. They don鈥檛 use words and have no particular language. Nobody hears their voice and yet - what they say goes across the earth.T heir message goes out to every corner of the world. God has made a home for the sun in the sky. At sunrise - it comes out from its home like a bridegroom. Like an althlete - eager to run the race with joy. The sun rises at one end of the heavens and travels in a circle to the other end. Nothing is deprived of the warmth of the sun. The book of the lord is wonderfulI it makes people feel alive again. We can trust what the lord tells us.The lord points out the way when we are not sure of it. What the lord tells us to do is always just and gives us a sense of joy, deep down inside. What the lord tells us is pure and makes our eyes shine with a new light. Every word is true - more valuable than gold, sweeter than honey,Lord - May my words and my thoughts聽Be pleasing to you. You are my strength and my Redeemer.


Hymn 4 - Blest are the Pure in Heart

In John Keble鈥檚 words-聽 Blest are the pure in heart - 鈥渢he secret of the Lord is theirs, their soul is Christ's abode.鈥澛燭he psalmist says that creation shares God鈥檚 secrets without even needing words聽 and when we receive them, our hearts are full of joy.听听Today that message about the power and consequence聽 of love is reiterated by many other voices ---- not only from pulpits.

Prayer 1聽Voice 1 Katherine
From the pages of novels, lines of poetry,聽Cinema screens and song lyrics -聽God of love -聽 help us to discern your truth.In a flash of realisation, a surge of hope,A jab of conscience or a quiet reflection -God of wisdom - help us to recognise your truth

Voice 2聽 Owen聽
From the insightful advice of a friend聽Or the startling words of a stranger -聽God of grace - help us to hear your truth. When we find you in unexpected places. When your voice disturbs our complacency God of compassion - help us to understand your truth.

Voice 3 Isobel听听
In a world of spin and sound-bites, tweets and texts, In the noise and clamour of everyday life God of stillness - help us to pause -- and listen for your truth, Forgive us when we misinterpret our own wishful thinking as your guidance. Whether you speak to us in a mighty symphony or in a still, small voice - open our hearts to receive your message of love, hope and compassion聽 -聽We ask this in Jesus鈥� name. Amen

How easy is it for a young person 鈥� or for any of us 鈥� to find their own voice - to know who they鈥檙e meant to be?聽

Hymn聽 4 - O Salutaris Hostia
Including comments from Will and Rebecca聽

Will and Rebecca - like many other young people - beginning to find themselves and their voices.聽
So when we鈥檝e found this voice how do we use it?聽Every voice is distinctive - with its own vocal 鈥渇ingerprint鈥� as it were. Often it鈥檚 the tone of voice as much as what we say that鈥檚 important.

As a singer and broadcaster I鈥檝e come to realise how important the sound of a voice can be. How often do we say - 鈥淥h it鈥檚 so lovely to hear your voice鈥�.聽 At times when we鈥檙e feeling low or lonely, hearing a familiar voice can bring comfort and consolation.听听

Many people have felt the acute isolation of loneliness over these past 18 months - sometimes going for聽 聽three or four days聽 without speaking to anyone - longing for some human contact - desperate to hear a friendly voice saying 鈥淎re you all right ?鈥澛� One elderly man told me recently that after a longed for telephone call he felt that he belonged to the human race once again.

Of course it isn鈥檛 only the elderly who feel like that, so many feel bereft of real human contact. For the past 20 years I鈥檝e been working alongside people who are homeless. One day, walking through town, I saw a young man I鈥檇 met at the Night Shelter many years before -so I stopped and said 鈥淗ello Andrew鈥�. To my surprise he burst into tears and when I asked him what was wrong he said 鈥� I just can鈥檛 believe you remembered my name - you said my name鈥�.

Before we open our mouths, we do have a choice聽 - we can choose to speak to the people we meet with love and respect and honesty. Of course words can be strong and challenging too- Jesus spoke plainly about things that needed to be changed - but his message was always centred on the Good News of forgiveness, compassion and love.

We heard the choir singing about God鈥檚 amazing grace. Let鈥檚 pray for God鈥檚 help so that our words may be full of the breath of love and grace.


Voice 1 Owen
We think of voices raised in hymns of praise and thank you for their harmonyWe remember other voices, weak through illness or hunger, silenced by dementia, broken with despairAnd we pray for those whose voices bring encouragement and consolationWe think of children鈥檚 voices, crying in fear and pain and we pray for those whose gentle tones stem the tears and soothe the hurt.

Voice 2聽 Katherine聽
We think of the lone voice, singing in the silence to bring comfort and hopeWe think of the whistle-blower, risking her job to highlight the truth聽We think of the one weighed down with mental illness - unable to say the words聽 鈥淗elp Me鈥澛燱e think of the victim of bullying, stripped of his self-esteem by the voice of abuseAnd we give thanks for those who speak out for fairness and honesty and kindness.聽

Voice 3 Isobel
We think of voices rippling with laughter or shouting with delight,听听And we thank you for the warmth of family and friendship and sharing.We think of voices united in song, lifting hearts and bringing聽 joyHelp us to use our voices so that others may know your extravagant love and receive the grace of your blessing.We ask in the name of Jesus - who knows each of us by name. Amen.

Hymn 5 - It is Well With My Soul聽

Alongside our renewed hope and courage to speak about the Good News of God鈥檚 love, there comes the need to listen to other voices.聽

When we say聽 鈥淗ow are you?鈥� there鈥檚 sometimes聽 a tendency to not really listen when someone tells their story, shares their experiences or pours out their troubles. And yet there are so many instances in the Bible where we are urged to listen and then be the voice for those who have no voice. Maybe it鈥檚 something we have to learn.聽

Oscar Romero is remembered as being 鈥淭he Voice of the Voiceless鈥�. In 1977 he was made Archbishop of San Salvador 鈥撀� a quiet man of prayer who at first kept himself separate, even aloof from the radicals in his flock 鈥� but gradually, the people聽 showed him that they needed him to speak out against injustice, to be the voice of a people who had no voice 鈥� and for this bravery, Oscar Romero both won the Nobel Prize for Peace and was murdered in front of the altar of his church.

It takes courage to speak out - to swim against the tide and yet many young people do it with immense courage.聽 聽

In Pakistan the young schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai聽 campaigned for the rights of girls to be educated - but some hated her message and thought her voice should be silenced. In October 2012 Malala was shot聽 - as she boarded her school bus. Miraculously she survived and her courage has inspired others all over the world to support her cause.

Malala says (Isobel)鈥淚 speak not for myself but for those without voice... those who have fought for their rights... their right to live in peace, their right to be treated with dignity, their right to equality of opportunity, their right to be educated.鈥漌hen the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.聽
How will we use that voice? Through God鈥檚 amazing grace we are not only his children but also partners and fellow -workers with Christ - so if we don鈥檛 speak out in love - who will?听听Voices of Rhys, Rebecca and Will聽

Beverley
Loving God we give thanks for young people and all those who speak out for peace and justice.聽 We think of those imprisoned because of lies and corruption. We think of refugee families, torn from their homes because of war.聽 20 years after the events of 9/11 we remember those in Afghanistan and other conflict聽 zones聽 - paralysed by the fear of what might come next from the mouths of leaders or the barrel of a gun.聽We think of those seeking asylum who long for a place of safety.聽 We think of teachers, preachers, broadcasters and politicians, and pray that they may be given the wisdom to recognise your truth and the courage and the integrity to speak it.In Christ鈥檚 name we ask聽 聽AMEN

Lord鈥檚 Prayer聽

This morning we鈥檝e heard the beautiful voices of our young singers raised in harmony and we鈥檝e heard their passion and determination to speak out, to make the world a better fairer, place - and that gives us such hope and reassurance for the future - a future where we might - with God鈥檚 help - 鈥� raise this wounded world into a wondrous one.鈥澛� 聽In this infinite awesome universe we are each a unique part of God鈥檚 creation- kept in his heart - and like Samuel - known, named and loved.聽

The words we heard earlier from Psalm 19聽 are a paean of praise for the beauty of creation - creation that speaks to us in its own particular language. How amazing then that the creator who breathed life into billions of galaxies and all the wonders of the universe, also leans down and listens to us.聽

God of love, Help us to speak the Good News that you meet us wherever we are and love us whoever we are.听听Use our voices, our words and our love to聽bring hope and peace, justice and joy. Amen聽

Hymn 7 - Let All the world in Every Corner Sing